The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the West Bengal government to take a decision within two weeks on granting prosecution sanction against co-accused individuals in the high-profile cash-for-jobs scam involving former state education minister Partha Chatterjee.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued the directive while hearing Chatterjee’s plea seeking bail in the case. The court observed that the absence of sanction to prosecute co-accused had been delaying the trial.
Appearing for Chatterjee, Advocate M S Khan argued that while the former minister had been granted prosecution sanction, others involved in the case had not, making it impossible to segregate the trial. Khan added that Chatterjee’s deteriorating health should also be taken into account, stating he was barely able to walk.
However, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the CBI, strongly opposed the bail plea. He asserted that it was the West Bengal government’s responsibility to grant sanction for prosecuting the co-accused and alleged the delay was hampering the proceedings. Raju also sought that Chatterjee’s plea be tagged with that of another co-accused, scheduled for hearing in July, since both appeals arose from the same Calcutta High Court order.
Refuting claims of Chatterjee’s poor health, Raju contended that the former minister had managed to procure favourable medical certificates from a hospital, suggesting an attempt to mislead the court.
“In order to facilitate trial, the state of West Bengal is directed to take a decision regarding granting sanction in the cases of the petitioner’s co-accused within two weeks,” the bench ordered. “We are conscious of the fact that the state and the accused are not before us. We have not expressed any opinion on the merits.”
Expressing concern over the judicial handling of the matter, the bench remarked on the trend of high courts passing unusually lengthy and divergent bail orders. “Mr Raju, what is happening? In bail matters, high courts are passing lengthy orders and that too with divergent views,” Justice Kant noted.
The controversy stems from a CBI investigation ordered by the Calcutta High Court in June 2022 after several unsuccessful candidates in the Teachers Eligibility Test approached the court alleging irregularities in recruitment by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education.
Following the court’s direction, the CBI lodged an FIR on June 9, 2022, while the Enforcement Directorate filed a case on June 24 the same year. Raids conducted at Chatterjee’s premises on July 22, 2022, unearthed documents linked to 12 properties allegedly owned by his associates and appointments of Group D staff. Another search led to the recovery of ₹21.9 crore in cash and gold jewellery worth over ₹76 lakh from a close aide’s residence.
Chatterjee’s bail pleas were previously dismissed by the trial court on August 3, 2023, and by the Calcutta High Court on April 30, 2025. His current plea in the Supreme Court hinges on the delay in proceedings due to pending prosecution sanctions and his reported health issues.
